Why I unapologetically love Ann Taylor Loft even though it's 'uncool'

This goes back to the first time I ever stepped inside a Loft
store. At the time, I was working freelance from home and didn’t
have to worry about putting on (workplace appropriate,
professional) clothes on every day. "This is what I would wear if
I had a job in an office,” I thought.

In that sense, Loft is
aspirational. It's a bank account with money in it. It's a home.
It's a healthy relationship. It's secure — something women may
not be excited to proclaim they want, but probably do want in
some sense.

Still, for many, it's far from
aspirational. It's historically uncool, and it falls in the
traditional "mall store" category, many of which are not faring particularly well right
now. Loft is not quite in the fast-fashion category,
although if you wait a few weeks, that $98 dress will be on sale,
just as soon as a new dress gets shipped in; it operates on a
highly promotional basis. It's inexpensive, but it's still not as
cheap as a Forever 21 or H&M. It's not sexy and sharp like
Zara. It's not for preppy fashionistas (with money to burn) like
J. Crew.

But it's still not nearly as
buttoned-up as its older sister, Ann Taylor. Loft's
senior vice president of marketing, Michelle Horowitz, describes
the Loft girl as "optimistic." Perhaps most importantly, the Loft
girl was one very significant trait: She loves Loft.
Horowitz says her job is just "amplifying the love."

And I confess: I'm one of those women. And I agree — there is
nothing to hate about the Loft. In fact, there's plenty — as the
brand's Instagram hashtag #loveloft suggests — to love about the
brand.

LOFT

In part, this is because
the Loft girl is not concerned about impressing anybody. As
Horowitz said in an interview with Business Insider, "we don’t
take ourselves too seriously."

Who knows why the Loft girl isn't
concerned with the criticism of others. Maybe she's married (or
in a serious relationship), has put on a few pounds since, but
has not let herself go completely. Maybe she doesn't
need trends or sex to lure a man; the Loft woman lures a man with
her mind (or her really good listening skills). Maybe she’s too
busy having fun with her friends to notice or care what he’s
thinking. Or maybe she's just preternaturally cool, and doesn't
care what anyone thinks.

The Loft woman is probably
employed and wants to feel pretty enough — albeit appropriate —
when she goes to happy hour. But she's going to let her hair down
when she puts on a pair of boyfriend jeans over the weekend. Loft
is relaxed — and Horowitz prides Loft on its ability to go from
workweek to weekend, as well as how Loft has very much tapped
into the idea of the "new dress code," as she puts it — which is
more relaxed than its traditional, suited-up
counterpart. It's true — if you work in a creative
industry like media, Loft provides a perfect
ensemble.

It’s arguably tame, yes. But for
many women who maybe spent a good chunk of their
20s valiantly trying to impress others, Loft is a sigh of
relief. It's fun, relaxed, and comfortable, and there are times
when many women — myself included — want to look good without the
burden of bowing down to the altars of high fashion or the male
gaze — and without subjecting ourselves to hideous apparel. And
perhaps the best part about Loft’s clothes is that while they may
release tiny cries of "suburban mom," they hit the sweet
spot of stylish and polished, without too much
effort or breaking the bank.

That’s not to say Loft’s clothes
are ugly — they're not at all. The Loft woman is defined by
cardigans and sweaters — two timeless wardrobe staples that, when
worn with the right pair of jeans, exude confidence and
security. And what Loft offers — timeless basics with
twinges of trends (chambray, anyone?) — works for nearly anyone.
Many skirts and dresses are, indeed, flirty, just not
seductive.

A photo posted by LOFT (@loft) on Nov 16, 2015 at 1:50pm PST on
Nov 16, 2015 at 1:50pm PST

If you frequent Loft enough (and
if you work near one, like I do, you might), and you'll see that
there is no real Loft customer. You'll see the stay-at-home mom,
the tired working woman with children, the elementary-school
teacher, the young professional (who works nearby), and the girl
who's going to Sunday brunch. Loft — somehow — manages to do what
few retailers manage to do: attract a wide demographic.

"There’s really something for everything at Loft," Horowitz said,
"that we don’t specifically target [anyone, like,] 'we have to
get the 25 to 34 year olds.' It’s really about that connection
with her at an individual level." "Her" is the Loft girl.

Loft won't say it, but it's been making concerted efforts to
appeal to younger women — and if not, to engage the millennial
woman on an amplified level. Look no further than its campaigns:
The LOL Summer Movie Series curated by Whitney Cummings, a
campaign with Hello Giggles, and video campaigns
with Hot Mess Moves. It's partnered with the popular food blog The New
Potato, too. The brand also tapped Busy Phillips for a
fall campaign, showing off that the brand isn't uptight — it's
quirky. The campaign with Busy Phillips featured her daughter,
arguably to appeal to young moms.

The women the brand partners
with, Horowitz said, are "tremendously successful, but successful in
the sort of fun, optimistic [way], reaching our customer, but not
selling to our customer, so to speak."

And it's paying off. The brand has a come a long way from being
Ann Taylor's lesser younger sister, possibly since Austyn
Zung joined the brand's creative team 2010. Her thoughts on
the brand are similar to what Horowitz explained. "LOFT is
just relaxed. The clothes aren’t too
constricted—they’re not too tucked-in or cinched," Zung said to
The Daily Front Row.

This speaks volumes about Loft. "We get the joke," Horowitz said. "And we don’t
take ourselves so seriously. And the irony is that ... Lena loves
our clothes!"

But also the joke still exists, in part because the brand is
still partially prone to ridicule.

Loft may no longer be Ann Taylor's lesser sister, but
it still has a way to go before everyone sees it
as cool. But Horowitz believes that if those naysayers get to
know what Loft is really about, they might change their minds.

"I think a lot of people
don't realize what Loft is about, how multifaceted it
is, and it's more than just ... how some of the people have
perceived us," Horowitz said.

And maybe some girls might be hesitant about converting to a
brand that is sometimes subject to mockery, but what girl
wouldn't want to have a good job, enjoy her life, and the
opportunity to reject the idea that she has to dress sexy all the
time?

In that sense, Loft has hit the nail on the head of a particular
demographic of women. It may not be representative of every girl,
but there is a group of girls who are sitting back and relaxing
and then going to bed by 10 p.m. They're enjoying their
turtlenecks, boyfriend jeans, and maxi dresses, and they're
probably laughing about how they're glad they're not dressed for
the club.